THRISSUR : The victims of the Nattika mishap were in deep sleep when the lorry driven by a drunk person ran over them. While five persons lost their lives and many were injured, those who had a providential escape from the tragedy recalled the horrendous moments of the chilling accident.
“It was in the wee hours. I woke up to the noise of the vehicle crashing onto the median, and loud screams that followed. What I saw was the shattered parts of my family members, who were sleeping next to me. My husband who woke up hearing the melee asked me to get up and run away. I didn’t know then what happened as it took a moment to grasp what went wrong,” said Ponnamma, who was struggling to control her tears as she waited for the mortal remains of her beloved family members.
Grumbling about the ill-fated moment, Ponnamma said that even though they shouted to stop the vehicle, the lorry didn’t stop, crushing those who were in deep sleep.
Ponnamma and the ill-fated members of the vagabond family have been living in Nattika and its surroundings for about four months. They make a living by fishing and also collecting scrap items in and around Nattika.
“They used to sleep on the other side of the road. As it was Ekadashi day and chances were high for heavy traffic on the route, they decided to sleep on the lane under construction, where road diversion boards have been erected. They thought they would be safe as the drivers of approaching vehicles could see the board clearly,” said Salim, a local resident.
Ponnamma’s sister Nagamma, her children Jiva and Viswam were also killed in the accident. “We all are cousins and go around together,” Ponnamma said.